Angel Fit For a Devil
by Spunky0ne
Summary: A Bleach themed parody of Beauty and the Beast...yaoi, Aizen/Byakuya
1. The Escape

**Angel Fit for a Devil**

**A Bleach Adaptation of Beauty and the Beast**

**By Spunky0ne**

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**AN**Thanks so much to Picklez80 for the lovely PM. I am taking your advice and restoring all of my fics. I also make a vow never to remove work again. You were right that even if readers don't speak up, they do read and appreciate, and they miss stories that are removed, for whatever reason. I will happily restore everything, and since Aizenmonth is almost here, I will be sure that all of those get put back up quickly. If any readers have requests for Aizenmonth, please let me know! I am making a list now of fics to update for that. Love to all, Spunky**

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**Prologue: Bedtime in Las Noches...**

"What do you want, Gin?" Aizen asked off-handedly, "You know I am not feeling well."

Gin grinned good naturedly and sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning over him to wash his face with a cool cloth.

"You're not feeling well?" he queried, "That's why I'm here. Your healer says you need to be pampered a little, and to rest a lot. I see everything's been done for you, but you're not sleeping."

"I am having trouble falling asleep. My mind is too busy for sleep," the leader of the hollows sighed.

"Yes," Gin agreed, "Preparing to take over the three worlds is quite a consuming chore, ne? But I have just the thing to make you feel better and to help you sleep."

Aizen raised a curious eyebrow.

"Do you, now? What is it?

"Well, I know you like a good story...and that you have a certain secret passion for a certain lovely man. So, why don't we combine my talent for storytelling and your creative imagination and whip up a sweet bedtime story? That will have you off into dreamland in no time!"

"Well," Aizen sighed, "I would have been more pleased if you told me you had actually captured that secret lust of mine...however, as you haven't, I suppose this will do. Go on, then. I am listening."

Gin nodded and grinned more widely.

"Very well, then. Close your eyes...Once upon a time, in a sunny land called Hueco Mundo, there was a lovely prince, who lived with his family in a castle on the side of a mountain."

"Gin, first of all, Hueco Mundo is never bright and sunny except where my illusions have been placed, and secondly..."

"Just bear with me, here. It's a fairy tale," Gin explained, "You have to let your mind get into it. Close your eyes, Aizen taichou. You will like it. You will see."

"Oh...fine, then. I suppose I'm not going anywhere until this infernal flu goes away anyway. Go on."

"Prince Aizen's parents were well loved, but very old, and the young man had already begun to take the reins of leadership. But Prince Aizen was used to having things his own way."

"As well I should."

"And he didn't let others tell him what to do."

"Also commendable...independent thinking...initiative..."

"But even though his ideas might have been good ones, he angered his advisors by refusing to listen to their advice. He cast off the wisdom of his elders and he soon lost the ability to understand the needs of the people around him."

"Isn't that why one has other staff?" queried Aizen.

"Well, Prince Aizen became so remote that the advisors left the palace in anger."

"Not a huge loss."

"His parents faded away from disappointment."

"That is not nice, Gin."

"And the people became estranged from their monarch. But..."

"This had better get more interesting soon, Gin," Aizen warned him, "Or you will bore me to death."

"Ah, not working for you? Perhaps a different storyteller, then? Keep your eyes closed."

A smile crept onto Aizen's lips as a deeper, more dulcet and tranquil male voice picked up the story.

"Oh, Gin," Aizen sighed happily, "You _did_ capture him! How kind of you."

He smiled more widely as the light scent of sakura touched his senses, and a warm, naked body slid into the bed, next to his.

"I trust that you can salvage this very cracked and battered fairy tale, Byakuya. I am afraid that Gin butchered it quite badly and only increased the ache in my head."

"Hmmm," said the noble, "I will see what I can do."

He thought carefully for a moment, then continued the story from where Gin had left off.

"What no one realized is that what was happening to Prince Aizen was the result of a deep and compelling isolation, a loneliness he had felt all of his life."

"Hmmm..." sighed Aizen, "I wonder what could save him from that loneliness."

"His parents were kind, and he happily accepted the wisdom of his elders as he grew. But his vast powers, even as a child, set him apart and made his peers mistrust him, so he became angry and said he didn't need them...and in this way fell into solitude and became estranged from everyone. But one night...a dark, stormy night, a knock came upon the door. And when he opened the door, an old woman stood there, looking up at him hopefully. She offered him a lovely, small sakura tree..."

"Of course," Aizen said, smiling again, without opening his eyes.

"And all she wanted in return was a room in the palace for the night."

"I see. I think she had other plans for him, ne?"

Byakuya's lips smiled.

"Prince Aizen was not a trusting man. He had trusted his friends as a child and they had abandoned him. So, he refused the old woman and started to close the door. But...as he did, she shed her skin and revealed the very daughter of the spirit king, himself. She rebuked him for falling into such a state, and she cursed the entire kingdom, turning Hueco Mundo into a vast, dry desert, in which the sun never shined. Then she turned to the prince and said that he was not fit to be a prince. Until his heart could learn to love selflessly, he would take on the form of a beast, for that, she said, was what he had become."

"Should I call Gin back in here?"

"Patience," Byakuya said, touching soft lips to his, "You will enjoy this. I promise."

"I know what I would enjoy more," Aizen said, upending the naked noble.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"Your healer said no excitement."

"Yet you got into bed with me naked?"

"You were overly warm, so I thought less clothing was better."

"Less clothing is always better on you, Byakuya, dear," said Aizen, making the other man blush.

Byakuya pushed him away.

"I do not have all night. I have to have time to escape and return home in time to go to work in the morning. Now, are you going to cooperate?"

"If I must," sighed Aizen, contenting himself with burying his face in sakura scented hair and licking the sweet, white skin of Byakuya's neck as he went on with the story.

"But although she punished Prince Aizen, she did not leave him without hope. She left behind the sakura tree, telling him that it would come into bloom just once. And if he found true love, and it was returned by another before the last petal fell from the tree, then he would be free. In his fury and agony, the prince fell into despair...because if he had felt isolated before, he now felt more so. His subjects left the valley, and the prince was tragically alone. No one dared enter the valley where the palace stood, out of fear of the beast that they thought had eaten their prince."

"This is turning into quite the nightmare," commented Aizen, "Are you sure that this will help me sleep?"

Byakuya's cool, graceful fingers slipped into his hair and stroked it gently as he continued.

"In every darkness, there is light, and the darkness that our prince had fallen into was no different. He waited alone for years, yes...but finally, the day came when something happened...when a young woman stumbled into the valley...and he captured her."

Byakuya smiled, seeing that Aizen was beginning to fall asleep. And as the leader of the hollows slept, Byakuya's voice continued to whisper the story into his sleeping mind, making it come to life all around him...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: The Exchange**

_She is here! I know she is! I felt her reiatsu in this direction, _Byakuya thought as he flash stepped across the sand, _Renji was somewhat delirious when he was found, but he also indicated that he had sensed her in this direction._

_I must find her!_

He continued along the stretch of sand dunes and rocky clusters that marked the night world of Hueco Mundo, flash stepping at top speed. His riled reiatsu swirled around him, lighting the area with a soft pink glow. He slid to a stop as he reached the top of a large hill and thought he might have seen something in the darkness, just ahead of him. He ducked behind a group of boulders and peeked around them, looking down into the area and catching his breath softly.

"Oh..." he breathed, marveling at the stunning old castle that sat partway up the side of a mountain at the far end of the small valley, "This has to be where she is. This looks like what Renji was trying to describe."

He knew better than to approach head on, so he worked his way around the edges of the valley and reached the outer walls. It took several tries, and his fine clothes were somewhat torn in the process, but he managed to slip over a palace wall and down into what looked to have once been a beautiful garden. There were dead things all around, but only one thing had been left alive in the garden...a small, lovely sakura tree that appeared to have come into bloom, despite having neither light nor water. He knew then, that it must be a magical tree, and he marveled at the sight. He could have remained, gazing at it forever, but he remembered his reason for sneaking into the palace, and continued out of the gardens and into the castle, itself.

The inside of the castle was dark and dusty. In some rooms, there were signs that someone must still live there. Byakuya thought briefly of the horrid beast that the elders had spoken of. But, determined to free his sister, he raised a kido light, and placed a hand in readiness on his sword and continued on towards the tower, where he thought she might be imprisoned.

He was unaware of the lovely brown eyes that followed him...lovely eyes trapped in a beastly body...

Byakuya climbed the tower steps, listening for sounds of the beast or of Rukia, but the area around him was deathly still. He reached the top of the stairs and heard a soft sniff that came from one of the cells.

"Rukia?" he called softly.

"B-byakuya!" sobbed the girl, "Byakuya, you have to go! That beast isn't just a myth. He is real! He captured me and locked me in here...and..."

The two froze as something struck the kido light out of Byakuya's hand, and sent his sword clattering away. Rukia screamed, and Byakuya fired a quick kido spell at the cell door, which shattered, setting Rukia free.

"Run!" Byakuya commanded her, "Get out of here, Rukia!"

Something grabbed his arm, and he struck at it with a blast of blue kido fire, But to Byakuya's amazement, the kido spell flared and then died. Something snapped closed around his wrist, and he felt his reiatsu weaken and fade.

_Oh no!_

"Run, Rukia!" he cried, shoving the dark creature and trying in desperation to reach his fallen sword.

The beast wrapped an arm around his waist and brought him to his knees. He was ready to inflict a killing blow on the man, when the sweet, gentle scent of sakura touched his senses.

_What? This is the one, then? Him?_

"Please, let her go," Byakuya said, relaxing in the beast's strong arms, "Let _me_ be your prisoner instead."

The beast gazed down at him in silence, stunned as the moonlight fell across the man's lovely face and lit his enchanting, wide gray eyes. Prince Aizen was immediately smitten.

_What a beautiful young man...but...how will he ever fall in love with me?_

Byakuya knelt in silence, still held firmly by the beast and waiting for an answer. The beast made a motion with his hand, and a large gargoyle statue came to life and grabbed Rukia by the front of her shihakushou. Rukia screamed her brother's name as she was carried into the sky and flown quickly back towards the Seireitei. Byakuya remained frozen in the beast's arms, blinded by the moonlight so that he could not see who held him.

"Thank you," the noble said softly, "I am relieved that she will be safe."

"But you must keep your promise to stay here," the prince told him, "My illusions have hidden this palace from all eyes. This is your home now...Byakuya."

The prince released his captive and watched as Byakuya stepped slowly into an open cell with a heavy, undamaged door. The prince conjured a tray of food and tea and set it within the cell, then shackled one slender wrist to a chain on the wall. Byakuya sat down on a small mat in the corner of the cell, and set his back against the wall. He watched quietly as the beast closed and locked the cell door, and listened to his steps as he descended the tower steps.

_At least Rukia is safe. That is all that matters, _Byakuya told himself.

But Byakuya had never lived anywhere but at the rich, well provisioned home of his noble family, and he had never experienced imprisonment...poverty...chilling cold that could not be abated.

As the hours passed and the unending silence went on, Byakuya shivered in the cold and tried to shrink further into the corner of the cell to escape it. He tried to tell himself that he would be freed soon, that he would find a way out or that someone would come to rescue him. But the beast's words kept coming back to him, haunting him so that he couldn't close his eyes.

_"My illusions have hidden this palace from all eyes. This is your home now...Byakuya."_

He thought of his warm, comfortable bed at home...the tea that his attendant made for him, or that Renji made for him when he was at work. He thought of all of the people he saw every day, the other taichous, his squad members, his kind, gentle cousin, Tetsuya and sister Rukia.

_All of those things may be gone, but at least I can remember how they made me feel._

The thought strengthened Byakuya's broken heart as he removed his kenseiken and set it on the table, next to the uneaten food, and then laid down to sleep. He pillowed his head on the folded silken scarf he had been wearing and pulled his haori more closely around him. But the mat was thin, and the cell floor was icy and hard. It took him a very long time to fall into an uncomfortable sleep.

Prince Aizen watched through an enchanted looking glass, admiring the beautiful man as he shivered and moaned uncomfortably in his sleep. After a fashion, and for some reason he couldn't understand, he became uncomfortable himself, seeing the young man suffering. So, he waited until Byakuya slept more deeply and slipped into his cell. He laid a warm cloak over the young man and slipped a soft pillow under his head. He had left Byakuya's side and was closing the cell door, when the young man's soft voice reached him.

"Thank you, Beast," Byakuya whispered.

He meant to close the cell door without answering, but the words escaped him, uncontrolled.

"You are welcome, Byakuya."


	2. Face to Face

**Chapter 2: Face to Face**

**(In Aizen Sousuke's bedroom in Hueco Mundo)**

"Ah," Aizen sighed, relaxing against Byakuya's naked chest as the noble smirked and cooled his fevered face with a cool, wet washcloth, "You are indeed a much lovelier storyteller than Gin."

"Hmmm, I think you only say that because I am not wearing any clothes."

"If I had my way, I would lock you in a tower, like the beast in your story, bind you in kido chains and have my way with you until we were both unconscious. Shall we begin now?"

"You are already nearly unconscious," Byakuya commented, feeding the sick man another sip of hot green tea, "If not for my adherence to the rules of truce we follow when I visit, I would haul you away to the Seireitei prisons and bind you in kido chains, then have my way with you until you lost consciousness."

"Ooh, that is almost enough to make me turn myself in. What a wicked tease you are, my love."

"Who is teasing?" Byakuya breathed hotly in his ear.

"Oh," murmured Aizen, "You want to dispense with the storytelling and enjoy each other a bit?"

"You are supposed to be resting. I will not make love to you until your fever is gone. That should be incentive enough to make you get better faster."

"Hmmm, how about, in the meantime, you heat up that fairytale? So...I, the wicked beast, have locked you up in the tower and you have to stay alone with me until you break the spell..."

"Yes, and meanwhile, back in the Seireitei..." Byakuya went on.

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"Rukia, you have to calm down," said Renji, rubbing his aching head, "We're not gonna be able to help if we can't understand you!"

"Renji is right," agreed Ichigo, glancing at the redhead, who was lying in a hospital bed in the fourth division, "Take a few breaths and tell us what happened."

"Nii-sama!" Rukia wailed, "He was captured by a horrid monster!"

"What are you talking about...horrid monster?" asked Renji, "I was out there, and so was Ichigo, and we didn't see a monster. We don't know _what _it was that started beating the living hell out of us. Before we go deciding it was a monster..."

"But it _was _a monster," objected the young woman, "I saw it! It had hair all over it, big teeth and claws and..."

"Sounds like a nasty hollow," concluded Renji.

"It was bigger than any hollow I ever saw," said Rukia, "It wasn't a hollow. It didn't have a hollow hole. I tell you, it was a monster!"

"Heheh," chuckled Ichigo, "Well, Renji and I can beat the shit outta any monster, so don't worry.

"You can, huh?" said Rukia skeptically, crossing her arms, "That's why you're in here instead of out trying to help me save Nii-sama."

"Eh, I don't know why you're worried anyway," muttered Ichigo, "Byakuya is scarier than any hollow _or_ monster! That monster should be scared of him!"

"Would you shut up, you idiot!" snapped Rukia, "I don't care what you say. I saw a monster. He tried to throw me in a dirty old cell, then he let me go and took Nii-sama instead! Now, you two clowns can either sit there looking stupid, or you can make yourselves useful finding and rescuing my brother from that awful beast!"

"Do we get to choose?" quipped Renji.

"SHUT UP AND GET OFF YOUR STUPID ASSES!" roared Rukia, sending the two limping towards the door, tripping over each other to escape the fire-breathing female shinigami, "GET OUT THERE AND FIND NII-SAMA AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF COMING BACK WITHOUT HIM!"

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Byakuya woke to the dreariness of the dark cell he had been placed in, and he pulled the warm coverlet around him and sat in the corner, frowning and wondering what would happen next. He wondered if he would be forced to stay in the small, cold cell in the darkness or if he would get to see the light of day again. The only comfort he had was the memory of the lovely sakura tree that had caught his attention before. He closed his eyes and focused on that tree's loveliness as the hours went by and his heart ached at the silence and loneliness.

Byakuya had always been a quiet sort. He followed the rules, stayed within the lines and steadfastly protected the ones he loved. He expected too, that others would follow the rules, but in the darkness of the cell he was in, all that had gone before had become useless. And it only tormented him to think of home and the family and friends that he had left behind. His heart began to ache painfully for them, and although he wasn't an emotional man, he was slowly brought to tears.

The beast watched his captive through the help of a handheld monitor. He zoomed in on Byakuya's pretty face and studied the quiet anguish he had caused by locking the man away. Usually, Aizen wasn't the kind of man to bother himself with others' emotions, but when he looked at this man's unhappy expression, he felt unhappy too. When he saw the tremble in Byakuya's slender, beautiful body, the shaking of his hands as he brushed the little strands of hair away from his face, and the tears that leaked onto his cheeks, he suddenly didn't want to see the man sad anymore.

There was something about Kuchiki Byakuya that suggested that he had already been too sad, and now was even more so, trapped in that dark, cold place.

So, Aizen set down the monitor and walked slowly past the very sakura tree that Byakuya had been remembering to comfort himself. He traveled through the great mansion and up the many steps into the tower. Byakuya heard the beast's approaching footsteps and wondered to himself if things were going to get better, or if they would take a turn for the worse.

He looked up quietly as the lock on the door clicked loudly and the door to the cell creaked open.

"Come, Byakuya," the beast's deep voice growled, "As you have promised that you will not try to leave, I will give you a more comfortable place to stay."

"Thank you," Byakuya answered, rising onto his feet and following the huge beast out of the cell.

He swallowed hard, looking at the beast's powerful body, the broad shoulders, strong back, large arms and cruel looking claws and teeth. And he couldn't help but wonder what the beast had planned for him. He wasn't afraid of being hurt or killed. It didn't seem like the beast wanted very much to do either. And that made Byakuya wonder to himself.

_Is he perhaps...lonely?_

He looked around the dusty halls and over the dim fixtures and decor that must once have been shining and fastidiously polished. He imagined how once, the great doors at the front of the palace might have stood open and people would come and go, rushing about, here and there. It made him think of home again and nearly brought tears to his eyes, but a moment later, he was distracted from them, when the beast stopped and opened the door to a small room at the top of another tower.

The room was dusty, like the rest of the palace, and was sparsely furnished. But it was comfortably warm and after spending the night in the dark, icy cell, it the bed looked sinfully soft and cozy.

"You should be comfortable here," the beast said, studying his bowed head and downcast eyes, "My spirit servants will bring you food or other things if you need them. Just summon them with the bell that is on the nightstand. You may move around the castle as you wish, but do not enter my tower or private garden. They are strictly forbidden."

"I understand," Byakuya said solemnly.

He watched as the beast nodded and stalked away, then turned to look at the dusty room again. He sighed softly, not enjoying the thought of what it would take to make the place habitable. He thought briefly about summoning a spirit servant, but wasn't sure he wanted to know the sort of creatures that might serve such a one as the beast. Instead, he opened the doors to the room's small balcony and pulled the curtains away to let the sunlight into the room. It was much warmer then, so, being alone, he undressed to the waist to be more suitable for menial tasks and set about his cleaning.

He had no idea at all that the beast was back in his room and watching through his handheld monitor.

The beast's brown eyes took in the lovely sight as Byakuya removed his shirt, baring his slim, muscular shoulders, chest and back. It dizzied him a bit to see such a pretty expanses of soft skin like that. His own body covered in fur, he had almost forgotten the warmth and softness of touching another person's skin. So, he watched closely as Byakuya's softly glowing skin grew damp with sweat while he worked, as his muscles flexed and as he bent over from time to time. He emitted a soft, piqued growl at the feeling that passed through his loins. Byakuya was beautiful enough as it was. But shirtless and bent over, he moved into the realm of heavenly. And although he hadn't really planned what to do with the man before, a number of guilty pleasures came to Aizen's now lusting mind.

He thought about appearing behind the man as he bent over, pressing up against Byakuya's soft, round bottom to show him how he was affecting his captor and to make him shiver to think of what the beast planned for him.

And what he planned for that sinfully beautiful man should, he thought, make Byakuya tremble.

But while wanting to ravish every inch of that lovely man's body, every silken strand of hair, every shapely curve and soft dip of flesh, to thrust his hot tongue between those pretty frowning lips and taste his mouth, to enslave his tongue and hold his hands down, pressing their panting, sweating bodies against each other, it would be no fun if it made the man too terrified. Although, he thought, some fear was useful in letting Byakuya know his place with his new master, with his subservience, he would earn gentler treatment...at least when his beastly master was not in the throes of his passions. Yes, so he had to approach the situation carefully.

He watched the handsome noble with a devilish gleam in his eye, nearly salivating as Byakuya's slender hand reached up to brush away a bit of sweat that threatened to leak down onto his porcelain features.

"Oh!" the prince sighed, enjoying the sweet jolt in his belly at the sight, "I simply must have a taste of those delectable looking fingers, brush kisses along those frowning brows!"

He continued to watch closely as Byakuya finished stripping the bed and beating the dust out of the mattress, locating fresh bedding and making the bed, dusting every surface until the entire room was spotless. Aizen tilted his head questioningly wondering, _This is a noble born man? Cleaning and dusting? Making his own bed? Doing all of these menial things with no complaint? How oddly endearing that such a one could be so unspoiled. I expected less manners and more bluster, but oh, I do enjoy this man! How can he arouse me so well doing such boring tasks? That was a wise trade I made. That girl would have been crying and carrying on most annoyingly. This man is handling his captivity much more admirably!_

The thought he had next surprised him from head to toe.

_I want...to do something for him._

_But what?_

He wondered as he watched Byakuya go into the bathroom and wet a washcloth. He soothed the hot, sweaty expanses of his skin, then sent another sweet jolt through Prince Aizen's loins by discarding the rest of his clothes and stepping into the hot, steamy shower in his bathroom. Aizen smirked as the monitor he held moved and adjusted, affording him a beautiful, close up view of Byakuya's heavenly body as the man let the water rain down onto his naked chest and back, where it ran down over white breast and tantalizing pink nipples, along a slim white belly, into his navel and out again, while more drops went sliding down his straight back and curving with his firm, round bottom, meeting the drops from the front to dance down his pretty, white thighs and..."

XXXXXXXXXX

**(Back in Hueco Mundo)**

"Wh-what are you doing?" Byakuya gasped, halting the telling of his tale as he was dragged out of bed and into Aizen Sousuke's still too hot arms, "I told you that..."

"Oh, my _dear, dear_ Byakuya," Aizen purred, "Fever or no fever, I won't let you get away with such delectable descriptions without you also _demonstrating_."

"But...!"

"And also, I desire a bath to cool my body and to get some of this dastardly sweat off of me. You don't mind, of course, right?"

"You...!" Byakuya objected, only to be silenced by a blazing, feverish, open-mouthed kiss.

They were at the end of the hall and already entering the bathing room. Aizen set the flustered noble on his feet at the edge of the huge pool, then stopped his next objection as well, with another deep plunge into Byakuya's still objecting mouth. Blushing furiously from the scathing intensity of Aizen's kisses and his indignation, Byakuya nonetheless recognized the uselessness of trying to convince an aroused Aizen Sousuke to do anything any but his own way. So he accepted the offer of a fever-warmed hand and accompanied his lover out to the large rock waterfalls in the center of the bathing room.

Aizen wrapped his seething body around Byakuya's, bringing hot lips to the noble's ear and licking and nipping the sweet lobe before teasing it with hot breath.

"You were saying?" he said, watching as the water rained down onto Byakuya's body, just as he had been describing in his story.

Byakuya started to speak again, and again described in careful detail how the beast-prince watched while his noble captive slowly washed himself. But, as he spoke, Aizen's fever-heated body pressed up against his back, and the former taichou's hands slipped around Byakuya's slim waist to touch him more intimately. In moments, the noble began to suffer from shortened breath, and the words of the story faded.

"Oh my!" said Aizen, smirking, "Byakuya, are you catching my illness? You look terribly flushed all over!"

Byakuya's mouth opened, but all he could emit was a breathy moan as his lover's fingers played over his sensitive skin, then slid downward, threatening a more intense invasion.

"Ah!"

"Is this part of the story?" Aizen inquired, positioning himself.

Byakuya's breath caught as he braced his hands against the wet rock under the waterfall and bent forward, yielding wantonly to Aizen's lusty ministrations. He felt Aizen's body come to rest along his back as the man's strong hands gripped his him, and their bodies were slowly joined and made one. The two men moved together, exchanging kisses over the noble's pale shoulder, moaning and panting at the lovely stimulation. The noble's knees weakened as their bodies continued to move as one, both straining to reach that lovely pinnacle of pleasure. They reached it together in a mind-numbing climax that nearly swept Byakuya off his feet. He thought he would melt as his feverish lover's even blinding heat filled him, leaving him barely on his feet, and all too pleased to comply when Aizen dragged him down into the shallow water to finish their lovemaking with a storm of hard, biting kisses. They rested then in the warm shallows of the bathing pool, with a weary Byakuya, still panting softly where he curled around Aizen's body and laid his head on his lover's shoulder.

"I owe you an apology," Aizen whispered, licking his ear, then nibbling gently at his pale throat, "I was less than gentlemanly, interrupting your story like that and ignoring your admonition to wait until _after_ my fever broke to make love to you. I was terribly rude."

"You were," Byakuya whispered back, letting his body relax completely and starting to drift off, "but I suppose I can continue the story, once we have rested a bit."

"Rested," Aizen said slyly, "_and_ had another tumble, ne Byakuya?"

"You are _impossible_!"

"I love you."

"You are forgiven."


	3. Cooking

**Chapter 3: Cooking**

**(In Aizen's bedroom in Hueco Mundo)**

"You are shivering," Byakuya observed, snuggling closer to the Seireitei's most notorious criminal, who looked much less threatening, beaded in sweat and glazy-eyed, "You shouldn't have gotten out of bed, or expended so much energy on physical pleasures while so ill."

"It's your fault," Aizen accused him in a seductive tone, "You were the one who crawled naked into my bed and teased me with stories of wicked, beastly pleasures. You should be ashamed of yourself, my love."

"Oh, believe me, I feel tremendous guilt every time I allow your subordinate to capture me and I end up surrendering to you. Still, I cannot seem to help myself. Despite all of your wickedness, I love you rather helplessly, Aizen Sousuke."

"And you think I am any less enamored?" Aizen asked, smirking and letting his fingers trace the lovely lines of the noble's comely face, "But we're getting distracted again. You were describing the beautiful imprisoned Byakuya and how he tempted that poor, hapless beast by doing menial chores, then getting naked and taking a shower. It's so strange how such ordinary things become extraordinary when you are doing them."

"You are just biased," Byakuya noted dryly.

"You are just sinfully attractive, my love," Aizen chuckled, pulling the noble in for several long, penetrating kisses.

He marveled at how, even after sating their lust a few times, Byakuya's eyes looked no less lustful and wanting than they had before.

_You are a creature of such passions as one would never expect from you,_ Aizen mused inwardly, _Fascinating..._

"Ah," Byakuya sighed, gently evading as he tried to open the noble's yukata again, "but you want me to finish the story, ne?"

"Yes, of course," Aizen answered, smirking, "Go on."

"Very well.

XXXXXXXXXX

The beast watched closely as Byakuya finished his bath and slipped into a simple yukata and it amazed him how a man used to such wealth as a noble son was could so easily accept looking like a poor man...and still looking as lovely as though adorned in expensive clothing and precious jewels. He yawned sleepily and looked longingly at his freshly made bed, but felt a rumble in his belly and knew he had to sate his hunger if he was going to sleep at all. Realizing also that he didn't know where the kitchen was, he walked to the nightstand and lifted the small brass bell, then rang it to see what would happen.

Byakuya's eyes widened slightly and his body tensed as footsteps sounded outside his door. Then, the door opened and Byakuya sucked in a surprised and unsettled breath. For, before him stood a stunning, silver-coated fox who walked on his hind legs like a human, who had carefully slitted eyes and a sly smile. The fox's smile widened at seeing his surprised reaction and he made a little growling laugh.

"You rang?"

"Y-yes," Byakuya said, recovering slightly, "The beast...erm...m-master said that there were servants here to help me. S-surely, you are not one of them. You are so...!"

"Yes, I am his servant," the fox informed him, "but how nice of you to look up to me."

"Well..."

"My name is Gin."

"That makes sense," Byakuya said conversationally, "It means silver, does it not?"

"Yes, the master likes things simple," Gin said, smirking, "although I do wonder he calls you by name then and not just _hostage_. Oh, excuse me, _lovely hostage_!"

He made another growling chuckle at the blush that rose on Byakuya's face and throat.

"Oh sorry, I have flustered you. Now then, lovely hostage..."

"Byakuya."

"Very well, Byakuya. What do you need?" Gin asked.

"I am rather hungry," Byakuya confessed.

"You look more tired than hungry, Byakuya dear," Gin observed, "but I'll tuck you in later, I suppose."

"I can cook for myself," Byakuya explained, "but I don't know where the kitchen is."

Gin frowned.

"A noble son cooking for himself?" he asked disapprovingly, "I won't hear of it. We have menials more menial than myself for such things. You needn't lift a finger, my lovely, just stay right here..."

"But I really wanted to get to know..."

"...and PRESTO!" Gin said, throwing the door open and revealing two young women dressed in short, revealing white dresses, each with one eye covered with a strange, bony mask, "This is Loly and Menoly."

He nodded to the two.

"Give the prince his meal."

Gin gave the flustered captive a wink, then left him with the two young women. He watched them silently as they wheeled the food cart into his room, then glared at him meaningfully.

"Oh, thank you. That will be all."

"Sure thing, prince," Loly teased him, "Hope you enjoy your prison rations."

The two looked at each other and giggled as Byakuya moved to the cart and lifted the tarnished silver covers over his meal to reveal a plate full of rocks, a cup of filthy water and a small bowl of something that looked like cabbage soup, but was cold to the touch.

"What's wrong," Menoly demanded, "Why don't you try it? Too good for peasant food, rich boy?"

"If that's so," snapped Loly, overturning the cart angrily, "you can just starve for all we care!"

The two turned out of the room and walked away laughing as Byakuya gazed down at the mess, then with a sigh, began to clean it up. He emptied the cup of dirty water, cleaned it and filled it with fresh water from the sink, then moved back to the fallen cart and righted it. He dropped the rocks off the balcony into the dead gardens below and salvaged two mouthfuls of the cold and slimy soup from the fallen bowl. He needed several more mouthfuls of water to rinse the horrid taste from his mouth and sadly, his stomach was still aching with hunger as he laid down and looked out through the balcony doors, up at the stars and the pretty, white moon. He sang softly to the moon and stars to ease his melancholy and to make himself sleepy, and drifted off as the beast watched curiously to see if the bad treatment would make him despair. But the singing seemed to soothe him and even though he looked sad, he didn't look crushed.

Curious, the beast left his room and after sending Gin to punish the two menials for their poor treatment of his guest, he walked to Byakuya's room and slipped inside.

The moon shone brightly across the bed, bathing the sleeping noble's body in celestial brightness and making him even more enchanting. Aizen wanted so much to touch his beautiful face, to stroke the lovely skin while laying kisses on his blushing throat. He wanted to peel away Byakuya's yukata and..."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh my," Aizen chuckled, taking Byakuya's hand and sliding it down his lightly sweating torso to brush against his piqued genitals, "You've done it again with your lovely descriptions. You are a gifted storyteller indeed to lure me with only your voice!"

He tackled the flustered noble and kissed his protesting mouth several times before releasing him to continue his narrative.

"I think you know what will happen if you continue to tease me," he chuckled warningly.

The edges of Byakuya's usually stern mouth turned slightly upwards as he went on.

XXXXXXXXXX

As much as the beast wanted to touch and kiss his lovely captive, he didn't want the man to be any more upset. So, before going further, he exited the room and went to the kitchens, where he had his staff (except for the two ladies who were serving time in the cell Byakuya had inhabited, of course) prepare a large, hot meal. Then, he returned to Byakuya's room and brought the food inside. He leaned over Byakuya and blindfolded him so that he could not see, then touched his face gently to wake him.

Byakuya jumped awake and sat up, shivering as a hand captured his before he could rip the blindfold away.

"Keep it on," a male voice hissed softly, "It is for your protection."

"Why?" Byakuya asked anxiously, "Who are you?"

He paused as something was brought to his lips and started to turn his head away, but a hand captured his chin and he was offered something again. With little other choice, he accepted the bite of food into his mouth, expecting it to be awful as before. But instead, the morsel radiated wonderfully and he sighed in contentment as he devoured it hungrily. The beast smiled and continued to feed him, watching the pretty lips smile as they closed around each tasty bit.

"This is delicious," Byakuya said appreciatively, "Thank you. But will you tell me, why were those girls so cruel? Are a lot of the beast's servants like that?"

"Only some," Aizen sighed, "and you should know that the master punished them for their behavior. They will not be helping you again."

"I'm glad. But...on the other hand, why are you being so kind?"

Aizen smiled.

"Because most of us here are only monstrous on the surface. It is just the need to look beneath the surface that confuses people."

"Is that why you have covered my eyes...Beast?" Byakuya asked, smiling.

"My form makes you fearful," Aizen confirmed, "When we are like this, you are much more calm."

"But why do you hands feel different this way? They don't feel like the clawed hands I saw with my eyes. Are you really a beast at all?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Aizen suggested, feeding him a bite of something sweet and fruitfully decadent.

"What is that?" Byakuya whispered as the sweetness filled his mouth, "I don't usually enjoy sweets, but this is...!"

"Ambrosia," Aizen supplied in a seductive tone, "The food of the gods. Is this better than cold cabbage soup?"

"Much better," Byakuya said gratefully, accepting another bite.

"Ah, but some has smeared onto your lips," Aizen said, leaning forward to lick the stray bits away.

Byakuya froze as Aizen's tongue swept across his flushed lips, then a warm, hungry mouth fastened on his. His breath left him at the way it felt, not like the kiss of a monster, but like that of the prince of legend...that had the power to weaken the knees and make the heart pound to the point of bursting. And before he quite knew what he was doing, he returned the beast's kiss, opening his mouth to let himself be sensually tasted.

"Aren't you worried I will devour you?" Aizen asked, filling his mouth with sweet ambrosia and sharing it in a long, succulent exchange.

"If I must die at your hands, it wouldn't be the worst way," Byakuya said, blushing, "I've never been kissed like that. And it's strange that such a kiss could come from the lips of a frightening beast. Tell me more about yourself. I saw that this must have been a beautiful, rich place before. What happened to you?"

"I can't tell you," Aizen said solemnly.

"And of all the things in the castle, why is only that one sakura tree unscathed?"

"Ah, that's right. You saw it when you broke in. But...I cannot explain that. It is forbidden. I can give you no answers, Byakuya...only small pleasures. I am sorry, but this is how things are now."

"But there must be some hope."

Aizen realized the direction of Byakuya's thoughts and, rather than have him earn the ire of the being that had cast the spell, he stopped the young man's words with hard kisses and let his hands run up and down his captive's slender torso, watching intently the enchanting swell and color it brought to Byakuya's exposed privates. He spread bits of ambrosia down the length of his body and fed on it slowly, smiling as Byakuya moaned and thrashed beneath him, sinking his fingers into Aizen's lovely mane of brown hair. From blushing throat down over white breast and pausing to tease the pink buds, then sliding down to his ambrosia filled navel and sucking the sweet morsel away. He continued downward, pausing as he reached that even more sweet place he longed to invade.

_But we cannot make love until he can see me._

"Why did you stop?" Byakuya panted softly, "B-beast?"

"My apologies," Aizen said, pulling free of him, "You are a true temptation."

"Where are you going? I want you to stay. I am lonely without anyone here!"

Aizen smiled sadly and touched his face gently, sweeping the blindfold away and watching as Byakuya's eyes widened in reaction.

"You still see a beast, I know. Maybe...perhaps when you really see me, I can stay with you."

Byakuya slipped out of bed, ignoring that his yukata was still opened and his naked body exposed. He approached the beast slowly and reached a hand out to touch him. His dark eyes widened in surprise.

"But before, you felt human, like me!" he said in a shocked voice.

"You were looking through different eyes," Aizen explained, "When you can look through your human eyes and not tremble like you are now, then..."

He disappeared suddenly, leaving Byakuya staring and wondering if he had really been there at all. Looking around his room, he was stunned to find no sign of the wonderful food that now filled him inside.

"I know it was real!" he whispered, "It had to be!"

The mystery swelled around him so that he couldn't shut his eyes. Unable to sleep, he closed his yukata and crept to his door. He listened for a moment, then slipped out into the hallway, peering into the darkness to watch for any guards that might be concealed there. But he seemed to be alone as he made his way to the place where he had stolen into the castle. Although he knew it was forbidden, he wanted to see the tree again. He knew it must have something to do with the beast's condition and what had happened to the ones in the castle, so he stole into the garden and stood beneath it, admiring the glowing blossoms and reaching out to touch a slender branch.

"NO!" the beast's voice roared, and Byakuya felt a strong arm wrap around him and pull him away, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME HERE! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE?"

"I just wanted to..."

"GET OUT!" the beast howled, "How dare you try to touch it!"

Byakuya stepped back, his face white with terror as the beast advanced on him. As he moved, a piece of the rotting wooden walkway gave way and he tumbled over backwards, crashing to the floor and losing consciousness. The beast watched in horror as blood leaked out from under his head and he couldn't tell if the young man was even still breathing. He lifted Byakuya's limp body and raced back through the castle, calling to his healer and then he laid Byakuya carefully back in his bed in the tower room. He watched anxiously as the healer examined the young man and carefully bandaged his wound.

"Will he be all right, Szayel?" Aizen asked.

"He will be unconscious for a while," the healer said, frowning, "But he should be fine once he wakes. And you should be more careful with him if you want there to be any chance of..."

"I know. You don't need to say it. It was just...if he had touched the tree..."

"Yes, I am aware...but this was careless. Perhaps one of the reasons that we ended up like this in the first place."

"You may go," Aizen said tersely, watching with glowering eyes as the healer left the room.

He moved to the bed and laid down next to the unconscious captive, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest and listening to the soft sounds of discomfort and loneliness that escaped his slightly parted lips. He caressed the bits of satin black hair that spilled out from under the bandage the healer had wrapped around the young man's head and he offered Byakuya's unfeeling lips a small brushing of sympathy.

"You must be careful," he whispered into Byakuya's unhearing ear, "You must not break the rules that I give you. You must submit fully for your own protection, otherwise, I might just kill you."

He kissed Byakuya's soft, sad lips again and curled up beside him, holding him as he recovered and only leaving as he began to wake.

_I didn't mean to hurt you, but you could have ruined everything. You are my last hope. You saw how many petals have fallen._

_We don't have much time...Byakuya._


	4. The Glimmer of Hope

**Chapter 4: The Glimmer of Hope**

**(Another Aizenchapter as we dive into AIZENMONTH! Enjoy!)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**(In Aizen's bedroom in Las Noches)**

"Isn't it odd?" Aizen mused, sighing in relief at the touch of the cool, damp cloth that Byakuya used to wash his sweating face, "Your story has taken a rather disturbing turn. And it may be the fever, but I feel hopeful. Why don't you continue, my love?"

"Excuse me, Lord Aizen," said the healer's voice from the doorway, "but I must have a look at you to see how you are faring."

"Of course," Aizen answered, nodding.

Byakuya watched quietly as the healer worked, waiting expectantly as the old man's hands moved and his eyes registered approval.

"Lord Byakuya's attentions seem to be helping," he said finally, "but you still need food and rest if you are going to be fit for conquering worlds. I will speak to the cooking staff and I will return later tonight to check on you again. Lord Byakuya, whatever you are doing, please continue."

Byakuya nodded, and as the old healer left, he continued his story.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke with a terrible throbbing in his head and only a vague impression of something bad having happened when he went to see the sakura tree.

_It seems that tree has something to do with what is going on in this castle, but it is too dangerous to get close to it. Still, there are other ways to get to the bottom of things. I think I will stay away from the beast, but maybe getting to know the kinder members of the staff will yield a few clues._

He looked around his room and, seeing no one about, he started to rise. Almost instantly, his head throbbed and dizziness overtook him. He collapsed into strong arms, unsure who held him, and the room went very dark and quiet. The warmth stayed with him as he hung beneath the surface, his dazed mind replaying everything that had happened to him.

_I wonder how Rukia is faring. I miss her, and I miss home. I wonder if I am truly here forever or if I will someday be able to see everyone again._

_I hope…_

He felt gentle fingers brushing away the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes and he heard the deep rumble of the beast's voice. But still dizzy and sick from his injury, he spun back into senselessness, waking intermittently from disturbing dreams. When he finally rose out of the haze that had surrounded him, the sun was streaming in through the window, and Byakuya couldn't be sure how long he had lain there. He heard footsteps leaving the room, and recognized them immediately as his captor's. But when he called out, the beast did not answer. Byakuya gave a lonely sigh and sat up in the bed, barely able to care that a tray of freshly made food waited on his nightstand. He managed only a few bites, then set the food aside and stared out the window for the rest of the afternoon, his heart aching badly and his usually disciplined mind surrendering to the first touches of despair.

After several hours alone, the old healer arrived and examined him carefully, re-bandaging his head wound and admonishing him to eat and rest, before leaving him alone again. A young male, wearing a bony mask as the servant girls had, arrived with a tray of food at dinnertime. Byakuya thanked him as he accepted the food, but the boy only made an unintelligible gurgling noise in his throat and scampered out of the room. It was almost a relief when the tall, silver fox returned.

"So, how are you doing now?" Gin asked, looking down at him curiously, "The healer said that you are doing well physically, but he seemed concerned about your melancholy."

"Would one not feel melancholy at being taken from one's life and dropped down in a place like this, where one doesn't know who he can trust, and mostly has no company at all."

Gin gave him a sly look.

"The master was spoiling you before," he commented, "but you agitated him when you broke the rules and went into the garden. That could have been a costly mistake."

"But, why?" Byakuya asked stridently, "Gin, what is going on here? Why is the beast so worried about me touching that tree? Why are the servants and people here all animals? And why is that sakura tree _dying_?"

"Now, you know that the master can't answer those questions and neither can we," Gin scolded him in an almost carefree manner.

Byakuya started to speak, then hesitated as Gin gave him a sly smile.

"There are rules that all of us must follow," he said cryptically, "but I'm sure a smart fellow, like yourself, can find little cracks in the rules, ne?"

Without further explanation, Gin slipped away, leaving Byakuya with an aching head and an even deeper feeling of confusion. Unable to sleep or to just sit anymore, he left the bedroom and walked through the quiet hallway, carefully avoiding the forbidden section of the palace. As he turned a corner, he came to a large set of double wooden doors that had been beautifully engraved with an intricate pattern of flowers and vines, then stained a lovely dark red brown. He reached out and traced the edge of a flower, then carefully pushed the door open.

Byakuya's heart skipped and raced as the door opened to reveal a breathtakingly huge library that was filled from floor to ceiling with endless rows of books. He moved to study one shelf, his breath leaving him all over again as he found rows upon rows of perfectly preserved historical texts, novels, maps and a treasure trove of expensive artifacts.

_This room just needs some cleaning up and the books some gentle care, and this room, at least, could feel much like the library in my own home!_

Gone was his loneliness as he started with the highest shelves, dusting off the books and polishing the dull wood and tarnished metal. Row after row was transformed as the hours passed. It was nightfall before he finished and started out of the room, only to find that sometime while he had been working, someone had placed his evening meal at one of the reading tables in the room. Smiling to himself, Byakuya gathered several books that had caught his eye and he sat down at the table, where he worked at his meal while poring over a book of ancient mythology. He was so engrossed in his food and the gripping story he was reading, that he missed when a large figure entered through the doorway and approached him. The beast's shadow fell suddenly over him and Byakuya gasped and rose from his chair suddenly, stepping back and staring up at Aizen through startled eyes.

"It is just me," Aizen said quickly, laying a steadying hand on his arm, then frowning as Byakuya pulled away and backed up a step.

The noble bit his lip gently and kept his lovely eyes lowered.

"I've made you fearful again," the beast concluded, his frown deepening, "After causing your injury, I have frightened you. You…have my regrets for that, Byakuya."

Byakuya remained silent for several more moments, then sighed and looked up at the beast.

"I disobeyed the one rule you set for me," he acknowledged, "You were angry."

"Angry or not, I should not have reacted so violently," Aizen said solemnly, "I am sorry. I know that it will not undo the pain it caused and you will continue to have negative feelings for me because of it, but I do want to assure you that I have…made changes so that the sakura tree is not approachable anymore. If you will just agree not to try to reach it, then you and I will have no cause to disagree anymore."

"To the contrary," Byakuya said, frowning up at him, "Two people will _always _disagree sometimes. You are dangerous when you are angry, and I do not know you well enough to be sure I can avoid making you angry again. What fears I have are sensible ones."

"Of course," Aizen agreed, turning away, "I will…leave you to enjoy your reading, then."

The beast took a step towards the door and even though he was sure he wanted to let Aizen leave, Byakuya felt a twinge of loneliness at the thought of how silent the room would be when the beast was gone. He wasn't sure how the words escaped his lips and he was even more stunned at what they meant.

"You know, Sousuke," he said, shocking himself with the familiar way he used his captor's name, "there is a reason that I love to read."

"Oh?" Aizen said, pausing, but continuing to face away from his lovely captive.

"I know that it seems I am not a passionate man, but…when I was young, I was…rather headstrong."

Although still facing away, the beast couldn't help the little smile that overtook his lips at the noble's confession.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed, "I hated being confined by so many rules. I didn't want to lead the family. I knew it was my duty, but I was too young to understand the necessity. My grandfather is a kind person. He somehow understood my frustration, and after my father died, he took me into our family archive and he showed me a library much like this one. He said to me that he had been a passionate person too. It was not any easier for him to calm and change so that he would make a suitable leader, than it was for me. But, he told me, _Diving into free flowing words, poetry, old stories and histories…it can calm those passionate fires without letting them go out_."

Aizen's frown deepened and he turned back to look Byakuya in the eyes. The noble stood in front of him with one of the books he had been reading, opened and in his hands.

"If you wouldn't mind, I would like to read you one of the stories I found."

"You want to read to me?" Aizen asked, looking at him curiously, "Aren't you angry at me for what happened before?"

Byakuya considered quietly for a moment.

"I did break what seems to be a very important rule," he said finally, "and your reaction was frightening, but…everyone has disagreements. It is best to try to move beyond them. After all, if I refuse to speak to you, I will have no one."

"There are the servants," Aizen observed, "They are treating you respectfully, are they not?"

"Yes, they are," Byakuya acknowledged, "But they really only come to serve me. They are not unkind, at least, not since you punished the ones who mistreated me. Still, there is a difference between the kind of casual interchange I share with them and the more fulfilling type that all beings naturally crave."

"And you…_crave_ this interaction with me?" Aizen asked, his eyes narrowing, "Even after I frightened you?"

"We had a misunderstanding," Byakuya asserted, "Your behavior did frighten me, but you have assured me that as long as I do not attempt to visit the tree again, you will not become angry like that again."

"You are giving me another chance?"

"Well, as I said, I will not cure my loneliness by pushing you away. Like it or not, I agreed to stay with you forever, as you agreed to let my sister go. I think that if we want to adjust to our situation successfully, we must continue to interact. As we learn about each other, we will gain trust, and eventually, we could become friends."

"Friends with your captor?" Aizen mused, "And a beast?"

"Have you never had a close friend, Sousuke?" asked Byakuya, a hint of sadness in his voice, "Were you close to anyone…you know, before…"

Aizen considered the question in silence for a time.

"I was close to my grandmother," he said finally, "She was…different. While my father was judgmental and demanding, she would sneak in a dose of humanity while he was not looking."

"What did she do?" Byakuya inquired curiously.

"Oh," the beast said off-handedly, "just little things mostly. She would listen as he scolded me to stand up straight and concentrate on my footwork, then mock him while his back was to her."

Byakuya cleared his throat softly, barely repressing a sound of amusement.

"She told me that my father wasn't angry at me. He just had been trained by impatient and grouchy people, so that's what he learned. He wouldn't listen to her, and the whole kingdom suffered for it."

A little clipped laugh escaped Byakuya.

"She said that?" he asked, smirking.

"I'm surprised she dared, what with the tyrant that my father was."

Aizen turned slightly to look at a nearby portrait that depicted him standing to a very stern looking man with black, angry eyes and a scowl on his lips.

"I don't know what he was like before my mother died, but he was insufferable after."

"I am sorry," Byakuya said sincerely.

"He was even worse after his mother, the grandmother I was speaking about, died. And I suppose that with him being the one to raise me after that, I followed in his footsteps. Soon, everyone started to look at me the way they looked at him. And I suppose I acted like him…first to avoid his anger, and then because I was angry."

Byakuya remained carefully silent, looking up at the beast as he continued.

"I suppose that anger is what eventually destroyed everything. Now…"

Aizen broke off, seeming to come to the realization that something around him had changed. His dark eyes took in the lovely gleaming wood of the furniture, the freshly cleaned shelves and pristine books. Byakuya watched as Aizen's gaze ran around the transformed room, then returned to him.

"You…did this?"

"Are you angry?" the noble asked cautiously.

"No," the beast assured him, "Just surprised. This room hasn't been properly cleaned since my grandmother was alive. She used to come here to read and flirt with the ancient caretaker of the library. He barely spoke to her at first, but over time, they started to read together here. I always thought that, despite my father's scorn, they…were an agreeable couple."

Byakuya gave him an enchanting smile.

"Books can be remarkably sociable things."

"And this is why you've asked me to join you here?" asked Aizen, "You still wish to socialize with me? You know, you don't have to do that. If you…"

"I invited you," Byakuya persisted, "I told you, Sousuke. I am staying forever, so I hope to at very least, be friends. Will you sit with me for awhile?"

Aizen looked back at him silently.

_It seems a more useful pursuit than sitting in the garden, watching the blossoms fall as the magical sakura tree dies._

"Very well," he agreed, looking around until he spotted the very comfortable looking reading sofa, "Over there, perhaps?"

Byakuya nodded and gathered his books from the table. He waited as the beast sat down, his hulking body taking up half of the couch, then he sat down beside the beast and moved close to share one of the books he had been reading.

"That was a favorite of mine, when I was a child," Aizen said in a pleased tone, missing the secret smile of approval his words earned.

Byakuya began to read, and the beast quickly became entangled in his deep, pleasant voice. He closed his eyes, visualizing as Byakuya read the old myths and legends that had never seemed quite so interesting.

_Everything was dry and boring with my father teaching me. He agreed it was dry and boring, but said it was required. But…when Byakuya reads the words, I actually feel the stories again, like I did when my grandmother was alive._

Minutes turned into hours, and the stories seemed to come alive in the air around them.

_This is Byakuya's true gift_, Aizen realized, _I saw him as a fighter, as a leader, as someone like my father and me, and I looked down on him as I looked down on us. But, he is very different. His voice and these images he conjures touch my heart in a way I forgot how to feel._

Even with his eyes closed, and being in another part of the mansion, he felt the little shudder of happiness that went through the magical sakura tree. The petals still continued to drift downward, but the pace had slowed notably.

Aizen looked down at Byakuya, who was rested up against his side and still reading, albeit in a sleepy voice. His eyelids closed, then opened again and blinked.

"S-sorry," he apologized, "I am rather tired. I suppose we should stop."

He paused and touched the gilded edge of one of the books affectionately.

"I don't suppose, just one more poem," Aizen suggested.

Byakuya smiled.

"Very well."

He only read about half before his voice trailed off and his sleepy eyes closed and remained closed. The beast's great arm curled around him and he nuzzled Byakuya's cheek gently. At his touch, Byakuya's eyes opened again to look at him. For a stunning moment, they widened and the noble took a shocked breath as an odd brightness rose around them.

"Wh-what was that? What happened?" Byakuya asked warily.

"What did you see?" Aizen asked quietly.

"It was just for a moment, and it was before I was all of the way awake, but…I think, no, I _know_ that when I looked at you…for a moment, you looked _human_!"

"Ah," Aizen said wonderingly, "you are beginning to see me!"


End file.
